Everywhere you turn there is a high school girl with a Lululemon bag; it has taken hold of their arms.

I personally did not see the hype, nor did I understand why I should add yet another bag with even more weight to my already heavy load, but since I got my own plastic tote bag I have understood; no one has spotted me with a bare arm since, my pink lunch carrier has latched on,  and it has no plans of leaving. 

These bags are filled with lunches, water bottles, loose paper, car keys, chapstick, and whatever else your imagination can come up with. They are extra weight, but not on your back, can be as heavy or light as you like (unlike your homework-filled backpack), and it is effective. 

It is easy to access. I no longer need to stop in the hallway, drop my bag, and dig for lip balm, it is simply a reach down away. It is also quieter when getting a quick snack break in class in comparison to a loud zipper and shuffle of a typical bag. 

It is a trend that has spiked this year, but it has been around for all three years of my high school experience. I remember being embarrassed in middle school when I would walk around with a lunch box or any sort of extra bag, and now it is odd to see someone without a Lululemon bag or me without my own lunch bag. 

This trend, unlike so many others, is not for fashion—obviously, it is linked to the fashion industry through the store Lululemon, but the bags are usually well used and it shows. They are now more of a gray color than the original white, and the insides are a whole other story. 

While one basic look at this trend is that it can show off wealth, this is not necessarily true. You can ask for a bag even if you buy a headband, but it shows how we want to be perceived as “in” with fashion and “in” with the wealth that the store Lululemon is associated with. 

I think the bag takeover is an easier way for people to follow trends and try to feel like an “It girl.” It does not require a lot of money like the popular water bottles but is still visible and obvious. It also is flexible, it goes with every sort of outfit, can be used outside of school, and by using the bags in your day-to-day life, it is one less bag going to a landfill.

Lululemon has stayed relevant through multiple stages of internet trends. It remains “in” with the bag takeover that shows how we all want to fit in and be “in” with other people, and because the bags are an effective and easy way to carry more rather necessary items with you without causing more pain on your back. The lululemon bag’s versatility is not going away; the bags will continue to latch to students’ arms around high schools.